Improvement in combined fire-escape and spring bed-bottom



J. (:r. KING. y Combined Fire-Escape and Spring Bed-Bottom.

NOV-198 848. I, tented Jah.1 1878. V I 64 I v d 7 UNITED STATES -Parr:irr' OFFICE;

JOHN G. KING, OF APOLLO, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO S. M..JAGKSON AND ANTHONY O. STIVESON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED FIRE-ESCAPE AND SPRING BED-BOTIOM.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,848, dated January 1, 1878; application filed August 30,1877.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it knownthatI, J ,OHN G. KING, of Apollo, in the county of Armstrong and State-of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Fire-Escape and Spring Bed-Bottom; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which formpart of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a longi tudinal vertical section. Figs. 3 and 4 are details. Fig. 5 is a detail view.

This invention has relation to combined fireescapes and spring bed-bottoms; and consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, the object being to provide a series of sections which, being doubled back and forth, and-- supported by a bedstead, constitute a spring-bottom, and which, when dismounted and unfolded or extended, will form a perfect lire-escape ladder.

The bed-bottom may be constructed with the bedstead, or it may be independent, in which latter event it would be built in a frame adapted to rest on the ordinary slats.

A designates either the bedstead or the frame described.- The bed-bottom is made up of sections of wire ladder, joined together by eyes a or other means capable of permitting the required movement. The alternate sec tions are different. A plain section, B, consisting of twisted wire sides I) b, crossed at intervals by wire or wood rounds c, is hooked teach end over hooks d d, which pass through the eyes or rings a. The next section is made up of three pairs of parallel twisted wires,e 6, having the rounds made of springwires f, fitted in the manner shown in Fig. 3, so that the three pairs of wires 0 e are held apart; but being brought together atthe ends, they form a double-arched slat, as it were, which constitutes the spring portion of the bed-bottom. This is likewise brought over hooks d d at the ends; and so on, every alternate lad der-section being of the elastic three-pair form,

the plain sections being so laid in position as that they are underinost, and form a platform or support for the spring-sections.

The novel construction of thealternate sectogether.

To increase the elasticity of the bottom, I form the hooks d at one end into coiled springs s, which pass several times around the crossrod g, and end up on a second rod, h, as shown; This also efi'ects a greater facility in attaching and detaching the sections and frame.

The bowed form of the alternate sections, when extended to form the escape-ladder, serves to keep the ladder out from the walls of the building, and facilitates descent.

The end rounds of the sections may be 'formed of the sides by simply continuing them across at the ends. Each section is about the length of the bed, and as I propose to use altogether about thirteen sections, a full-sized bed-bottom would furnish almost eighty feet of ladder.

When required for use, nothing is required but to pull the sections off the hooks, and lower them out of the window as fast as detached, the last section being either permanently attached to the bed or frame, or otherwise to any object heavy enough to bear the pressure. 7

It is not absolutely essential that the sides of the sections should be of twisted wire, for they may be made of wood or other material, if desired.

With cheapness and simplicity, it forms an admirable spring bedbottom, which may be, by even a child, instantly transformed into a light but substantial fire-escape ladder.

required, all the sections may be bowed to form springs; but I prefer the alternate form as giving the best results.

Having thus'fully described my invention,

1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patvlflentn l I l. A combined fire-escape and spring bedbottom, composed of parallel sections consisting of bars in pairs, connected or adapted to be connected together, said pairs of bars being, respectively, connected by cross-bars, either rigid or elastic, substantially as specified.

2. In a combined fire-escape and bed-bottom, the spring-section consisting of three 

